Tips for playing up

grcsftbll · Feb 2, 2017

We're registered for a fundraiser friendly this weekend, only 10U didn't make. We decided to play 12U rather than drop out. Our team is 2nd year 10U with one 07 playing 10U for the first time. We have 3 girls who played "metro" which is our high school feeder program, and follows 12U rules, so they have done it before. The rest of the team hasn't. It's all B/C teams and we're the only 10U team playing. We'd planned to play a few 12U tournaments later in the spring anyway, it's just a bit sooner than we'd planned. DD is our #1 pitcher, and she usually practices from 40' anyway. We only just started with the 12" ball though. She's about 3 mph slower with it than the 11". Our #3 pitcher is one of the girls who played metro.

Any tips for us?

quincy · Feb 2, 2017

At 1st start with OF pretty deep and see how it goes. Try to keep the ball in frount of them.

I am not sure what rules you are currently playing but check DK3 and stealing home rules if you are not using them now.

doublesteal · Feb 2, 2017

As for Pitching whats the difference between #1 & #3 pitchers is it just speed, pitches, accuracy? Don't know how you usually work your rotation but maybe split pitchers within game (have 2 girls pitch per game moving back the 5 feet could be a challenge for an entire game if they aren't used to it.)

As for your players Tell them these will be the girls they are playing against next year so they need to give it their all. All you can really ask is that they give it their best effort (if they win a game use it as motivation for the rest of the season you beat a 12u team you can beat any 10u team if not praise them for giving the effort even though the girls were older.)

Good Luck

BobInMadison · Feb 2, 2017

The size of the ball can mess with the pitchers. Not all of them, but some of them.

My DD 3 played up in 12U little league her second year of 10U, and that was the first year she pitched seriously. Basically she learned to pitch with a 12" ball. She made the LL 10U all-star team, which meant the 11" ball. Trying to go back and forth between the 11" ball in all-star practices and the 12" ball in games messed with her pitching. I asked the 12U coaches not to have her pitch the rest of the season, which was only a few games, so she could concentrate on the 11" ball. When the summer was over, she went back to 12" permanently, of course.

I would suggest that when you are preparing for a 12U event, the pitchers ONLY practice with the 12" ball.
When you are preparing for a 10U event, the pitchers ONLY practice with the 11" ball.

My DD 3 was a new pitcher, so it might've been harder for her than your pitchers. Other pitcher's dads on DFP have said their DD's didn't have that sort of trouble.

grcsftbll · Feb 2, 2017

There's a pretty significant difference between DD and the #3 pitcher for both speed (probably 10 MPH) and location. The #3 just started going to my DD's pitching coach, who is awesome, but it's only been about a month. We use the #3 to come in a lot if a team starts hitting off DD and it throws them off big time. Her fast ball is like my DD's change up, speed wise. It can be pretty effective depending on the team and how disciplined they are with hitting. We have practice tonight, and they'll be practicing with 12" balls. I'm pretty excited to see how they do

Thanks for the input!

Fastpitch_Dad · Feb 2, 2017

In making the transition last fall the biggest problem wasn't our pitching or defense but it was our hitting. The extra 5' was significant with their timing of the pitchers and perceived speed. Maybe it was the timing but there also seemed to be a problem with getting squared up on the 12" ball as well.

That will be a fun early challenge for the team, good luck!

BobInMadison · Feb 2, 2017

grcsftbll said:
There's a pretty significant difference between DD and the #3 pitcher for both speed (probably 10 MPH) and location. The #3 just started going to my DD's pitching coach, who is awesome, but it's only been about a month. We use the #3 to come in a lot if a team starts hitting off DD and it throws them off big time. Her fast ball is like my DD's change up, speed wise. It can be pretty effective depending on the team and how disciplined they are with hitting. We have practice tonight, and they'll be practicing with 12" balls. I'm pretty excited to see how they do Thanks for the input!

This is true.

DD 3 used to be on a TB team (originally made up of all the girls from her all-star team), where DD 3 was by far the fastest pitcher. The most accurate pitcher was MUCH slower, but more accurate. It really threw opponents off their rhythm when one of them relieved the other one.

Originally the slower pitcher was the #1 starter, then DD 3 got to be the #1 starter, and by the end of their time on that team DD 3 was starting every game, and the #2 pitcher was only coming in if they had a huge lead. After that both girls went to another team. DD 3 is one of two starters, and the other girl stopped pitching, but is a great teammate. At some point the slow pitchers either have to get faster, or they don't get circle time.

softball dad 6 · Feb 2, 2017

Over half the challenge is the psychological part of it. If the girls hear the parents and coaches constantly talking about how big the other girls are and how they are worried then the girls will pick up on it. It doesn't matter if part of the girls are ok with it. If a group of the girls get it in their heads that they are in over their heads then the team will struggle. My advice is to sell it as a great opportunity to use it as a measuring stick for the team. Tell them look all the pressure is on the other team. Talk to the other parents and coaches and "ban" all talk about how big the other team is or how hard it is going to be playing against older girls. Turn the psychological part into an advantage. Keep it tight for a few innings and watch the other coaches come unglued about the possibility of losing to a younger team. Above all keep everything positive in terms of teaching and coaching the girls. Also try not to look to closely when your shorter girls are standing at first base next the opposing teams first baseman or when they go through the line shaking hands at the end. The growth spurt for most girls occurs between second year 10u and second year 12u.

grcsftbll · Feb 2, 2017

softball dad 6 said:
Over half the challenge is the psychological part of it. If the girls hear the parents and coaches constantly talking about how big the other girls are and how they are worried then the girls will pick up on it. It doesn't matter if part of the girls are ok with it. If a group of the girls get it in their heads that they are in over their heads then the team will struggle. My advice is to sell it as a great opportunity to use it as a measuring stick for the team. Tell them look all the pressure is on the other team. Talk to the other parents and coaches and "ban" all talk about how big the other team is or how hard it is going to be playing against older girls. Turn the psychological part into an advantage. Keep it tight for a few innings and watch the other coaches come unglued about the possibility of losing to a younger team. Above all keep everything positive in terms of teaching and coaching the girls. Also try not to look to closely when your shorter girls are standing at first base next the opposing teams first baseman or when they go through the line shaking hands at the end. The growth spurt for most girls occurs between second year 10u and second year 12u.

So true!!! In one of our last tournaments we played 2 different A teams. My DD played A all last year and wasn't nervous at all. The first team, she told her teammates they'd just lost their #1 pitcher and #1 catcher (which was true). The team beat us, but the girls played very well. Almost no errors; the other team just out-hit us. The second team is actually a weaker team, but DD had no confidence building inside info to share

It was such an ugly game. Same ending score as the first (9-1) only it was almost all errors. Would've been 2-1 without errors. It was all mental. Great idea on the ban. I'm going to post a message on our group.

chinamigarden · Feb 2, 2017

Get used to saying. Holy crap are you sure those are 12 year olds.

Tips for playing up

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